God arms me with strength; He has made my way safe. Psalm 18:32

This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10

The Great Commission is to go out onto the world and preach the Gospel, and to make disciples of Christ. The good news is that He died for our sins and has risen again. There is only one of two directions one can go at death. Are you sure you will be with the Father in Heaven? Romans 10:13 says: For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Call unto Jesus. Place your life in His hands. Your eternal future depends on it.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. John 3:17

This was Jesus' appointed mission. He was sent by His Father as the only means by which anyone could be saved from eternal condemnation. The Pharisees and Sanhedrin had nothing to fear from Him. While He preached against their hypocritical religious practices, He did not come to judge them or to condemn them but to give them an opportunity to repent and be saved.
On the other hand, neither did He come to judge and condemn the Gentiles. The Jews thought that the Messiah would destroy the Gentiles when He came, but this was not true. He was their Savior too and would not distinguish between Jew and Gentile.
Therefore, salvation was opened for all people who would believe on the name of Jesus. Once again, it must be emphasized that the word "believe" involves more than a mere intellectual agreement. One must believe strongly enough to submit every aspect of his or her life to Jesus. It is a belief that comes only by the regeneration of the Spirit, a new birth, and a radically changed life.

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13 NLT

On this Fathers Day I would like to simply say: Thank you for being there for your children. Good and godly dads are more important now than ever before. Blessed is the father who faithfully stands by his wife and children through all the highs and lows of life. Men, we need to be the fathers God has called us to be. We need to be spiritual leaders, examples, heroes, and we need to be there for our families.

Happy Fathers Day.

Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6

I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. I Timothy 2:8

Throughout our history our nation's leaders have carried their plans and hopes to God in prayer. Today we regard prayer in our national life as a forgotten tradition. We no longer have the sense of coming earnestly to God. We simply pray as a formality.

This nation was born in a meeting based on prayer, some of its most important decisions being made only after careful prayer to God. There needs to be a renewed emphasis on prayer today.

One of the reasons the world community, specifically the United Nations, has become so ineffective in handling global situations is that there is no prayer and no recognition of God. The UN lifts no prayer to God for guidance and blessing because we are so afraid of offending our secular neighbors.

People tend to say prayers only in times of great stress, danger, and uncertainty. After 9-11 the churches were brimming with people in prayer. Where are those people now? Since then we have flown through bad storms, and prayer is nothing more than a trickle. Though it is instinctive for man to pray in a time of trouble, even then people have turned away from prayer.

Christ instructed His followers to pray, both by teaching and example. So fervent and so direct were His prayers that one time when He had finished praying His followers turned to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1) They knew that Jesus had been in touch with God, and they wanted to have such an experience.

Now, at this tumultuous time in history we stand in a great need of prayer. Shall we be a people of prayer in such a time as this?

I am praying for all of you. Please, pray with me.

Amen.

One Nation Under God 

"Let us cross over to the other side." Mark 4:35

Even though a great windstorm had risen, and the waves beat into the boat, Jesus was asleep. His disciples came to Him asking, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"

They had forgotten the promise of Jesus Christ. He had promised that they would get to the other side. He never promised that the journey would be easy, but that as long as He was with them, they would reach the other side.

In fact, being with the Lord, we are more apt to experience storms.

Do you trust Jesus?

When the storms of life come, according to James Merritt of Cross Pointe Church near Atlanta, Georgia, you must remember first the promise of Jesus: He will get you to the other side. Second, to rest in the presence of Jesus. If He is in your boat, you will meet with storms, but you will be safe. When you are where God has placed you, even in the middle of a storm, God is always right there beside you. Safety is not the absence of problems, safety is the presence of Jesus. Third, rely on the power of Jesus. He does not promise smooth sailing, but He does promise safe arrival.

Will you face trial with fear? Or with faith? Fear looks at the storm; Faith looks at the Savior.

Christ may sometimes delay His coming in our time of distress. It is only during those times that our faith may be tried and strengthened, and that our prayers may be more intense, and that our desires for deliverance may be increased, so that when the deliverance does come we will appreciate it more fully.

Jesus said to His disciples in the boat after He rebuked the wind and calmed the sea, ""Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Mark 4:40

It seems much easier to have faith when the sky is blue, than when the storm is raging.

We never know how much real faith we have until it is put to the test in some fierce storm. Strength in the Lord is born in a storm.

Psalm 107:29 says: He calms the storm, So that its waves are still.

Isaiah 43:2 says: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

There is no need to fear the coming storms of your life, whether you are in the midst of one, have just finished with one, or if a storm approaches, when you have placed all of your matters into His hands.

In regards to the fear we experience during our toughest times, I John 4:18-19 says: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

There is always a lesson in a storm, and always a storm in a lesson.

All verses are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.